Koko's off the rails while driving the crazy train

KoKo's Toot-Toot (aka"Toot-Toot") (1926, re-released 1950)
Starring: Max Fleischer
Director: Dave Fleischer

Rating: Six of Ten Stars

While traveling by train, the Animator (Fleischer) doodles in his sketch book. His drawings of KoKo the Clown and his pet dog come to life, and soon they are causing train-based havoc in both the animated and real worlds.

"KoKo's Toot-Toot" is another tale where animated characters escape their two-dimensional world to cause chaos in ours. It's not the best I've seen of this series--there are several sequences that go on for just long enough to stop being amusing--but it does have its high points. My favorite bit is where KoKo, after disassembling the sketch of a non-operational train and putting it back together again all wrong but now working, as well as much of the train-ride that follows.

A common weakness that all the Out of the Inkwell shorts seem to share is a lack of a satisfying close to the films. That is mostly the case here, too, but it is also so surrealistic that I can't help but give the filmmakers points for thinking big.

I've embedded the film below for your convenience and viewing pleasure. I believe the version I watched (and featured here) is the one that was aired on Australian television, with added sound effects and soundtrack. I felt the music got a bit tiresome as it looped through the same tune for the third or fourth time toward the end, but you're mileage and tolerance for such things may be higher than mine. I actually found myself wondering if someone has put this 'toon to "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Obourne--which in turn led to finding the "bonus" I've included at the bottom of the post. (Yes, it's two-for-one day here at Shades of Gray!)

And here's a bonus--Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" performed by cartoon characters!

Picture Perfect Wednesday with the Batgirls

It was announced last week that Leslie Grace has been cast as Batgirl in an upcoming film from Warner Bros. We celebrate her casting here at Shades of Gray with a picture of her and another Batgirl, Yvonne Craig--separated by almost six decades yet equally fit to play the role of Babs "Batgirl" Gordon, and equally fit for sea-side frolicking!

And while we're at it, there's the Batgirl who came in-between the first actress and the most recent one-Alicia Silverstone. Maybe she'll hit the beach, too... if she gets out of bed!

It's that moment when...

We don't post many straight-up art film here at Shades of Gray; we're simple folk, with simple tastes. But when we came across "Moment" on YouTube, we thought it was so excellent that it deserves to be seen by as many people as possible. 

Take a couple minutes to enjoy this bit of visual and spoken poetry.

Moment (2021)

Starring: Jean Lodescar, Jr.

Director: Jean Lodescar, Jr.

Rating: Nine of Ten Stars

Musical Monday with Leslie Grace

 Last week, it was announced that singer/actress Leslie Grace has been cast as Batgirl in an upcoming movie. We'd never heard of her until now, but a little research showed that one of her songs features a video that's a perfect Musical Monday selection: It's a 1950s retro video for a modern romantic song. In black-and-white, of course.

Christmas in July with Jingle Bones

I thought I'd get onboard with the whole Christmas in July thing  with a review of Christmas-themed Coffee! So here goes!

BONES COFFEE COMPANY: JINGLE BONES

The Jingle Bones blend is a medium roast, and, as the name implies, it's Christmas-themed. Jingle Bones is one of about half-a-dozen Christmas-oriented blends that Bones Coffee Company offers (other examples are Oh Fuuuudge and Eggnog).

This review is based on coffee brewed from a 4-oz. pre-ground pack, in a drip coffeemaker. Like previous Bones blends I've reviewed, the coffee smelled great while brewing, filling my kitchen with an air of caramel that wafted into my office. This was off to a promising start.

The Jingle Bones blend tasted as good as it smelled, with the advertised coconut, caramel, and vanilla being present both in the aroma and in each sip. The flavor was sweet and smooth enough that even someone like me who almost always cuts his coffee with almond milk or creamer (or a mix of the two) could drink it straight from the mug without cutting it. 

Hot, this blend leads with a caramel flavor but the vanilla and especially the coconut shine through as well. When it's consumed iced, the coconut flavor comes through even stronger, but however the blend is consumed, its flavors remain nicely balanced.

I can't quite see how Christmas-y this blend is honestly--unless it's supposed to bring to mind a plateful of cookies?--but it's very tasty and one I recommend highly if you like coffee.

Kylie Approves of Coffee

The Avengers: Small Game for Big Hunters

Small Game for Big Hunters (1966)
Starring: Patrick Macnee, Diana Rigg, Peter Burton, Liam Redmon, James Villiers, and Bill Fraser
Director: Gerry O'Hara
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

Men, dressed for jungle safaris and shot with poisoned darts, are turning up near the manor of retired army officer Colonel Rawlings (Fraser). Government problem-solvers John Steed (Macnee) and Emma Peel (Rigg) are tasked with getting to the bottom of the mystery and stopping the violence before scandal occurs. 

"Small Game for Big Hunters" features both the best and the worst of what "The Avengers" series has to offer. 

First the good. It's got a supremely goofy plot that everyone treats with the utmost seriousness and straight faces of characters who exist in a comic-book universe where, on the outskirts of London, a delusion military officer can be kept within a recreation of a British military outpost in colonial Africa while his staff execute evil schemes--and no one notices for an extended period of time. It's also got comic relief characters who are, likewise, treated with absolute seriousness by those around them, because, again, everyone exists in a comic book universe where Crazy is Normal. This is the sort stuff, along with witty banter between Steed and Peel, that make most episodes of this series such a joy to watch.

On the downside, it's got an incoherent plot that sometimes seems to lose track of its own story-threads, which is made worse and even more obvious due to the way there are two separate narrative tracks for most of this episode, one of which is not all that interesting... and it's made worse by some comedic antics that aren't all that funny. At least we're not subjected to the all-too-common action/fight scenes that are so badly rehearsed and/or badly choreographed that one has to wonder if people actually got paid for working on the show--it would have dragged the rating down from a Seven to a Six. It might have been a rating of 5 if not for a couple twists that I didn't see coming, and for the clever social commentary on the faded British empire and the insanity (and inanity) of those who were still trying to revive it as late the the 1960s.

All that said, Diana Rigg's performance in this episode is also one of the strongest things about it, because it made me realize something that hadn't quite clicked before: She always seems to dial up the intensity of her performance if her Emma Peel character has been parked in the more boring parts of an episode, like she is here. It adds a greater sense of drama or comedy to sequences that are otherwise borderline drab. (Here, Rigg's dialed-up intensity saves a few scenes from coming across as too frivolous or silly.) .

Princesses of Mars, Part 37

The Princesses of Mars are spending this Picture Perfect Wednesday just lounging about and enjoying the summer heat.

(And yes. It's a hot during the summer on Mars, too. Why do you ask?)

Felix goes the distance in search of 'False Vases'

False Vases (1929)
Starring: Anonymous Voice Actors (although no sensible lines are spoken)
Director: Otto Messmer
Rating: Six of Ten Stars

After his wife's favorite vase is broken, Felix the Cat (who is fearful of her wrath) goes all the way to China to get a replacement.

If there ever was a text book example of doing something the hard way--even in a cartoon universe--than this is it... even if Felix cleverly tricks a dog into digging him a hole all the Earth so he can get to China. It's a cute execution of a joke that was probably old when this film was made. 

And "cute" is the byword for everything in this cartoon, with a cartoonish surrealism dose. There's not much here that will make you go "wow", but it's a solid piece of fluffy entertainment without any spectacular highs but also without anything that's so bad it's worth calling out. I don't think it's "False Vases" age that makes me say that, I think audiences in 1929 would say the same thing: Whether you compare it to previous Felix the Cat cartoons, or to some of the other fare available around the same time, this Felix adventure is nice, but nothing spectacular.

From a purely personal standpoint, there are two minor factors that drag "False Vases" down. First, there's my basic dislike of Felix when he's causing chaos unprovoked and just generally being a trickster for no solid reason; we're given a little of that here, so my reaction to a few of the sequences are equal parts amusement and annoyance. Second, there's a strangely recurring gag/theme of Felix turning human beings into musical instruments and playing them. I suspect the bits are there because this was reportedly the first Felix cartoon was was made with sound in mind (instead of being retrofit with a soundtrack as many of them were), but a little less repetition would have been nice. (Some modern viewers might also gasp with outrage and horror and need some time on the fainting couch due to some of the character designs, but I think those would be in the tiny minority of people interested in old cartoons like this, of which an even tinier fraction would be looking at this blog. Personally, I see them as cartoon characters living in a cartoon version of China, and they are no more or less rediculous or offensive or insensitive than other human characters that appear in the various Felix cartoons. I feel a little silly even commenting on it, but it also feels like a necessity these days.)

"False Vases" is one of ten Felix the Cat cartoons included on the "Felix the Cat: Early Cartoon Classics" from Alpha Video. It's the latest collection curated by film preservationist and lecturer John Carpenter, and it's got some rarities on it you won't find easily elsewhere. Even if you do find them, they're not likely to be in as good condition, nor as complete, as the ones featured on this disc.

Take for example the version of "False Vases" that's available on YouTube (embedded below, so you can sample Felix if you want to) versus the one of the DVD. The latter has a much sharper picture.

But I recommend getting the Carpenter/Alpha Video's "Felix the Cat" collection. It's fun stuff as a VERY reasonable price!

Musical Monday with Lykke Li

Experts in such matters as Ancient Aliens, the Greys, and Lizard People claim that ten years ago, in 2011,  singer Lykke Li, two musicians, and a film crew were sent to the Moon where Lykke Li and the musicians performed a concert. We have come upon footage that seems to bear out this claim. It's embedded below.

The question then becomes: Why was Lykke Li and those particular musicians chosen to perform a live concert on the Moon? Who did they perform for? Or maybe Lykke Li is actually a time traveler, and the Live From the Moon concert didn't happen ten years ago, but rather 410 years into the future? What is the truth here? We want answers!

Take a look at the video evidence and prepare to have your mind blown on this Musical Monday. (Or maybe just enjoy this minimalist, haunting performance of Lykke Li's "I Follow Rivers".)

Bones Coffee's Maple Bacon Blend

A little while back, I ordered some coffee from Florida-based Bones Coffee Company because the name of the blend amused me--Army of Dark Chocolate. It was so good that I ordered a whole bunch of 4-oz. sample packs of their amusingly named blends (and a few of their 'straight' ones) to try them... and to post brief reviews of them here at the blog--because what's more black than coffee... or more white than the unsweetened almond milk I pour in it? (Okay, REAL milk is whiter than almond milk, but just go with it, okay?)

All the cool people drink coffee, like Vincent Price!

I'm starting this new type of post with a blend I ordered, expecting NOT to like, but the concept was so odd I had to try it: Maple Bacon.

BONES COFFEE COMPANY: MAPLE BACON 

The Maple Bacon blend is a medium roast, made with Brazilian Arabica beans. I admit that I a sample  the idea of bacon flavored coffee seems... well, absolutely terrible. Yeah, I know bacon is supposed to go with everything, and I DO eat bacon while drinking coffee... but didn't think much of the idea of bacon IN coffee!

The first thing I noticed about this blend was how great it smelled while brewing. It didn't just smell like coffee--it smelled like maple syrup. Even better, when I took the first sip from my mug, I discovered it didn't taste much like bacon at all. It has a sweet and salty flavor to it, with a maple flavor coming through strong enough that someone (like me) who hardly ever drinks their coffee black could do so with this.

When drinking the Maple Bacon blend with added almond milk (unsweetened), the undercurrent of bacon flavor emerges more strongly become more of a clear flavor than just a touch of saltiness. It's not so strong so as to be off-putting, but instead adds a fascinating flavor twist.

The Maple Bacon blend is equally good hot or iced. Interestingly, when I drank it iced, the bacon flavor seemed to come through even stronger. (That could just have been my imagination though.)

If you like coffee, I recommend giving this a try!

 

Here's a Pinterest page that relates to this topic: Famous People Drinking Coffee!